Revolution
by YFWE
Summary: A revolution's a-brewin! I don't have the brainpower right now to write up a more fitting summary. Check back later.


**Revolution**

**YFWE**

**Ch. 1: Resolution**

Night had fallen upon the Pride Lands, a luminous crescent moon hanging in the dark sky as it shone brazenly onto the grass, the trees and all else that existed below it. It was a clear evening, a warm front having moved in during the previous days, taking with it once its winds left the cloud cover that had provided rain in days prior.

Pride Rock was noticeably dormant, its inhabitants having turned in for the evening not too long before. Even the baobab tree in which the shaman Rafiki resided stood utterly quiet, no late night sessions with the Kings or impromptu medicine-making taking place at that hour.

However, one would be a fool to think that all in the Pride Lands was completely serene.

Beyond Pride Rock, lurking in the shadows of a far-off tree, a dark figure poked its head out into the darkness, looking for a sign of life before ducking its head back into the safety of the tree's shadow. The lioness glanced timidly at the ground before her, her breathing somewhat expedited, tail curling and unfurling demurely against the bark of the tree. Unsheathing and sheathing her claws tensely, she turned her pale head back toward Pride Rock, allowing herself to push out of the silhouette once more, growling ever-so-softly in slight frustration.

The feline pulled back into the shadows, shaking her head dejectedly, and found that something else had joined her in her concealed spot. Spinning around so that she was face to face with what was behind her, the lioness growled menacingly, staring callously into the eyes of another lioness, one with the same pale complexion and weary eyes that she herself possessed.

Backing off slightly, the lioness sat back on her haunches. Her stern gaze, however, did not leave her acquaintance's. "You're late."

"A thousand apologies, Mwasi," the other lioness cocked her head in a slight bow of greeting before twisting her head back toward Pride Rock, making sure they were completely alone. "Had to be sure I wouldn't be followed. Kovu and Kiara took quite some time to fall asleep tonight. Aiheu only knows _what _they were doing…"

"Well, I pray you make your exit a bit more hastily next time, should there be a next time. Do not forget we have business to attend to, and now is the only time we have to speak on this matter."

"I haven't forgotten. Simba watches us nonstop these days. I'm starting to think he still doesn't trust us."

"_Of course_ he doesn't trust us, Ezra. He has no reason to. We came over quietly after Zira was defeated, yes, but who backed her up during the battle of prides, hm?"

"We did," replied Ezra.

"Who made an attempt to murder every living, breathing lion that reside in the place known as Pride Rock?" Mwasi growled.

"We. Us."

"Who even _looks _like outsiders anyway? Tell me, Ezra, who fits the part?"

"Alright, you made your point!" Ezra scowled. "Simba would be a fool to trust us."

"A fool indeed."

Mwasi paused for a moment, again circling around to be sure that they were not being watched nor followed. Ezra shuddered. "You get the feeling we're being watched too? Maybe I'm just paranoid but I can't stop thinking about it."

"That infernal mandrill is always snooping around undetected, so it could be him," grumbled Mwasi. "We'll need to keep this brief, then."

She turned back to her companion. "It's true, of course. Simba does happen to be on the right track, but we mustn't let on as such. If you are to speak any words of the plan, speak them either here or when you are certain Simba and his followers are not around, understood?"

"Of course."

"Zira was a noble leader, but she was also insane in her later years. I would have rather died than to have continued under her leadership. Now that she's out of the picture—"

"And we're getting cozy close to the belly of the beast," interjected Ezra.

"—we can move on with the plan. Simba does not deserve these lands. So we shall take them from him… and by any means necessary."

Ezra gazed at her acquaintance curiously. "But we discussed this all two nights ago. Forgive me for being perhaps impatient, but why have you called me here this evening? Why ask me to risk waking up the other lions—you know I have to step dangerously close to Simba in order to leave the den, correct?—and perhaps lose our cover to visit you tonight? And why, while we're at it, do you insist upon sleeping outside while the rest of us are warming up to the King?"

Mwasi grinned slyly, stepping back into the shadows behind the tree. "I admire your keenness, my dear Ezra. Don't worry, though. Everything has a purpose."

"Mind letting me in on that purpose, then?"

"It's simple. I sleep outside so that I won't have to be bothered with waking up other slumbering creatures when I want to have these little chats with you or anyone else. This and… well, forgive me, but something merely does not feel right about sharing a dwelling place with Simba and his seed. No matter. Simba is fooled by my insistence that I enjoy nice, grassy sleeping quarters to cold stone. He does not mind.

"As for your other query…" Mwasi's emerald green eyes bore into Ezra as she took a small step toward the lioness. "I wanted to know of your progress on Vitani."

Ezra cocked her head. "What, you mean getting her on our side?"

"Simply figuring out her allegiances. I want to know if Zira's daughter can be trusted, or if she will have to fall like the rest of them."

"…she will need to be swayed. That said," Ezra formed a small smirk on her muzzle, "she has more of her mother in her, it seems, than she might've let off. Kovu's renunciation of Zira threw her for a loop, it seems, but I am sure she'll come around to our side eventually."

Mwasi breathed in deeply, letting a long sigh emit from her muzzle after as she looked off into the night and toward Pride Rock. "Good. The difficult part, then, will be manipulating Kovu."

"Absolutely. He's rather head over paws for that dim-witted daughter of Simba's. Only reason we're in this situation now, if you ask me."

"I have my theories, though. It will take work, but Kovu might be ours yet. Which will be most useful, of course. Fighting with him will be much more unproblematic than fighting against him, wouldn't you agree?"

"I do, but… how do you plan on peeling Kovu's eyes away from Kiara for even a moment?"

Mwasi grinned. "Let's just say it involves a lioness. Don't worry, I'll keep you well-informed. For now, of course, lay low. Be as revoltingly sanguine as you must. Tell the other Outlanders as well, of course. Help them spread the word, and continue to work on Vitani. Leave the rest to me."

"I always do." Ezra bowed again to her superior. "May Aiheu provide."

"He always does," Mwasi nodded curtly to the pale lioness as she slunk off. Her gaze following Ezra until she was a tiny dot in the distance, and afterward hurried off herself to a nearby undergrowth of grass and shrubbery that was sheltered by a tall acacia. Her dreams would be pleasant that night.

Ezra, meanwhile, had never been able to shake the suspicion that they were being watched, and this feeling grew only stronger as she neared the base of Pride Rock.

"You're out late."

Ezra jumped at Kovu's voice, cowering away from the shadow Pride Rock cast on the ground where the male lion lurked. He stepped from his hiding place, a curvaceous and curious grin at his muzzle, shaking his black mane out of his eyes.

"Kovu! I, er… I didn't see you there."

"That's the lovely thing about the darkness, isn't it? So mysterious, so secretive… you can hide anything there. And yet… it's always there, is it not?"

The lioness nodded slowly.

"I saw you leaving and thought it slightly odd that you had not returned after a few moments, so I went out looking for you," Kovu padded toward the pale lioness. "You and Mwasi sure acted like you didn't want to be noticed. What were you discussing?"

"I'm afraid that's none of your business."

"Isn't it? Oh, I sure hope not. I also hope it has nothing to do with my mother and the plans she had for this kingdom… if so, Simba will most certainly need to know such plans, I think."

"Hush up, Kovu, it has nothing to do with your mother," lied Ezra through gritted teeth. "Trust me. It is nothing of importance. Mwasi summoned me, for I was unable to speak with her earlier in the day."

"And it could not wait until morning?" Kovu asked.

Ezra rolled her eyes. "I assure you, nothing happened. You're not my keeper, anyway. I'm an adult. I can visit a friend long after dusk if I so choose, can I not?"

Kovu stared at Ezra for the longest time, his gaze seemingly searing into her soul, as if searching her. Finally, he grinned.

"My apologies for doubting you, then. I only wish to be sure that you, Mwasi and the others have chosen the correct path. Simba took you in when you would most likely be starving otherwise. Don't forget that."

Reclining his head curtly, he started off up the side of the large rock edifice, toward the main den. With an almost silent sigh of relief, Ezra followed, thinking favorably of the notion of sleep but also thinking of the resolution made by Mwasi and the contingent decree Ezra herself had made.

It would not be easy. But if Aiheu smiled upon their cause, perhaps they would succeed. Maybe they would be able to finish what Zira had started before her untimely end.

The rest of the lionesses would be alerted in the morning. And then, perhaps, she would begin to work on Vitani.

Ezra only hoped that Mwasi's plan, whatever it was, would preoccupy Kovu.

END CHAPTER


End file.
